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Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Power trip: 1,000+ miles in the £2.4m Lotus Evija
Big Reads In the 1970s, Lotus test drivers used to 'pop' from the factory to the south of France for the weekend testing the latest car. We follow in their footsteps... Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Is everything that's ever been filmed now available on YouTube? Apparently so. Including a very much of its time behind the scenes documentary charting the development of the 1970s Lotus Elite and Eclat. Everything is browny beige and you can practically smell the cigarettes and political incorrectness. Chief engineer Tony Rudd is a laconic presence throughout, and resembles a potential third Ronnie (ask your parents). On a specific packaging issue, he notes that 'one solution was to breed a special race of passengers, but we rejected that as taking too long'. Woke was a way off. Rudd and fellow Lotus alumnus Mike Kimberley often thought nothing of taking a prototype on a long haul roadtrip. They'd leave the Hethel HQ, near Norwich, on Friday and head to the French Riviera or Rome, returning to their desks no later than Monday lunchtime. A real world sign-off, and the sort of automotive buccaneering that worked back when the gendarmerie had a more laissez faire attitude. Advertisement - Page continues below Which got us thinking. Why not channel some of that spirit for Top Gear's exclusive first road drive in the Lotus Evija? We've certainly waited long enough for the opportunity. The Evija broke cover in July 2019, so it rivals those other moonshot cars, the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG One, in terms of gestational challenge and hubris. It's actually been in production for a while now, built to exacting standards in the same building in which the fabled Lotus Carlton came to life a generation ago. Photography: Olgun Kordal You might like Yes, it's our EV Hypercar of the Year and we admire the fact the Evija exists at all. But it's also the only new electric hypercar of the past 12 months, and that surely tells its own story. With a power output of 2,011bhp (or 1.5 megawatts if you prefer), the Evija can claim to be the most powerful production car in history (well, until we get a go in the Koenigsegg Gemera, Rimac Nevera R or Hennessey F5 Venom Evolution) and it looks a million dollars. Trouble is, it costs roughly three times that, so the finished car arrives with some baggage. It also arrives with no space for any actual baggage, such are the extremes the design and engineering team have gone to. The perfect car for a 1,000 mile plus roadtrip, then, in true TG style. And just look at it. Designed by a team led by the indefatigable Russell Carr, it has roughly the impact of a meteor that's crash landed into Earth. Not bad for something the world's had six years to get used to. We often invoke a car's sculptural qualities when dissecting its design, but this one actually calls to mind Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth. High minded reference points for a machine whose form is uncommonly intelligent, as well as dramatic. Check out the 93kWh battery pack in the assembly facility and then marvel at how Lotus has packaged it, in the middle of the car rather than underneath, including all the power modules. Then look at the tunnels either side of it, expanses of space that help the Evija's aero efficiency but also cement its status as perhaps the most singular looking road car that is currently available. Advertisement - Page continues below Speaking of road, it's time to hit it. And we do actually have a plan. Our destination is Nice, on the Côte d'Azur, but as well as paying homage to that 1970s Lotus test route, we'll be dropping by a few places of note on the way – including Reims and the Circuit de Charade (locations of Lotus GP wins for Jim Clark and Jochen Rindt). It's Wednesday lunchtime by the time we leave, and we're booked on a plane home on Friday night. This is a distance and deadline to focus the mind. With this much firepower at your command, it's best to ease into things. A combustion engine may be conspicuously absent but the Evija still immediately floods your senses. Thanks to its configuration, you sit low like you do in a conventional sports car. It's relatively easy to get in and out of, and user friendly once ensconced. The design team fought to include what they call 'Becker points', prominently rising front wings (named after legendary Lotus test driver Roger Becker). There's a central spine in the windscreen where the huge wiper parks itself, but you don't notice that after a while. And the F1-style steering wheel, which could have been a clumsy affectation, is actually effective. (Although not actively better. Turns out you can't reinvent the wheel.) Skip 12 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Out onto the A11, we head towards London. There are five drive modes on this thing, and escalating amounts of power and driver connection. Range is likely to become our default for reasons we'll get into, but it's also the one in which the car feels most inauthentic. It's wrong to talk in terms of throttle feel – the right pedal is more accurately in charge of torque demand – but it feels a bit sludgy in Range. City is sharper, Tour better still, but it's impossible to resist trying Sport on the arrow straight road through Thetford forest. Now we have 1,257lb ft of torque to experiment with, an unholy amount of energy, and enough to send the car warping forward in a way that makes the Millennium Falcon engaging hyperdrive look like Del Boy's three wheeler. It's an unusual sensation and an impressive single digit in the face of physics, but also risky assuming you don't want to end up behind bars. Or get battered round the head by your passenger. In truth, this sort of velocity isn't a wholly pleasant experience, but the rate of acceleration and the way it sustains it is phenomenal. The Evija's battery is supplied by Coventry firm Hyperbat, the cells from American supplier Molicell. The battery pack alone weighs 718kg, about the same as an entire Lotus Elise S1. The Evija doesn't move like one of those, but nor does it feel like an Elise with a hippo strapped to its roof. It uses an 800V architecture, there are two motors within each electric drive unit on the front and rear axles, and two gearboxes. So all four wheels are driven independently, for an algorithmic dynamic bandwidth to boggle the mind. Marshalling this amount of power is a ferocious challenge. Remember, the parameters are set by the four bits of rubber on the corners of the car (bespoke Pirelli Trofeo Rs). Around 85 per cent of components are from UK suppliers. Lotus has worked hard to imbue this awesome looking machine with the character, sensation and vibrations we take for granted in a combustion engined supercar. This much is apparent as we stop for our first charge, at Thurrock services in Essex. The Evija's EDUs – electronic drive units – emit an organic whine, deliberately unfiltered. It's a noise you don't notice so much on the track because you're focused on not crashing. But at motorway speeds it's a different matter, not least because the noise is naggingly insistent at 75mph. More soundproofing might be the order of the day. It's made entirely of carbon fibre, chassis, body panels and all, including the front subframes for total integrity and structural rigidity And more range. Lotus claims 195 miles (WLTP) on a full charge, which is some way short of the early claims that we heard for the Evija. It's also some way short of reality, because you're mindful of not straying too far from Zap-Mapped rapid chargers, and also of not running the battery too low. Depleted cells are unhappy cells. Which means we're stopping with about 25 miles left, a pretty slender margin of comfort, and a scant two hours and 116 miles after we set off. A pattern may be set here... At least we find a vacant and functioning 350kW charger at Gridserve's facility that sits close to the Dartford crossing, and we're on our way about 15 minutes later. Mind you, the price is seriously spicy: 85p per kWh means that getting the Evija back to its modest full charge costs £54. The Channel tunnel next, where a busload of Czech schoolkids can't believe their eyes. It's a reminder that cars like this have a role to play as entertainment, something the Evija's brilliant design fully enables. The dihedral doors are pure concept car theatre. You can open them from the outside using the key fob or close them using a button on their under side. If you're inside, there's a button for each door on the roof header. Trouble is, they have a mind of their own and can become rather irritating. What would Colin Chapman think? Simplify and add lightness, that was his thing. The key lives in a little pocket in the centre console and its transponder demands that it sits in a specific way. Another mild frustration. A rearview camera and pop out side cameras add a techy dimension and ease the drama of reverse parking. Judging distance is still stressful, though. Especially given the Evija's exotic construction. It's made entirely of carbon fibre, chassis, body panels and all, including the front subframes for total integrity and structural rigidity. The cockpit sits well within its bodywork, a layout that evokes early 1970s endurance racers, a generation that holds every car designer spellbound. There's a complex race bred inboard suspension, codeveloped by Multimatic. That includes a Formula One-style 'heave' damper to absorb the effect of the Evija's considerable downforce – an unbelievable 1,680kg at the car's 217mph vmax – while its overall aerodynamic properties are dictated by the air flowing not just over and under it, but also through it, as we've seen. Skip 11 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Once we're in France, the odyssey can really begin. The Evija's interior echoes the exterior design, in the sense that it's defined by what's missing as much as by what's actually there. A refreshingly simple instrument binnacle sits on top of a carbon fibre exoskeleton, while a slender central spine – known as the 'ski jump' – houses a series of hexagons, each one triggering a different function. It's more concepty thinking made real, and it mostly works, the function graphics coolly backlit. Until it stops working, that is. The AC glow disappears just as the weather heats up outside, and the indicators literally go on the blink. France is well served by rapid chargers, which is a good thing because we're going to see a lot of them. Lotus reckons potential owners won't do the crazy distance we're attempting, but a real world range of about 150 miles is surely chocolate teapot stuff in terms of utility. We're not exactly blasting between péages either, although when the self restraint goes out the window the car shrinks distance like few other things out there. Hyper powerful electric cars are like time machines or teleportation devices. We skirt round Paris and pick up the A77 and then N7 through the Loire valley past Sancerre and Nevers. Charging stops five and six happen somewhere around here, the Evija's 1.6 miles per kWh energy consumption and suboptimal range distinctly hampering progress. It's also suffering repeated software glitches – we have a couple of engineers following us and they basically have to do the equivalent of a hard reset on a few occasions. I'm later told it's because I'm leaving the car in Sport mode when I should be flicking back into City configuration. Surely it should be able to absorb this? There is also a slight pause before the Evija unleashes all its horsepower in Sport, the electric vehicle equivalent of turbo lag perhaps, a gathering of thoughts as a zillion lines of code zoom around the mainframe. The pause is swiftly forgotten once you're at full tilt, but it should be seamless and instantaneous. Our second overnight stop is in Millau, on the edge of the Cévennes national park, just the right side of midnight. Phew. There are two reasons for coming here. The first is to travel across (and beneath) the Millau viaduct, the world's tallest bridge at 343m, an engineering wonder of the world that was designed by the UK's very own superstar architect Norman Foster and opened in 2004. It spans the glorious Tarn gorge, used 290,000 tonnes of steel and concrete in its construction, and is held up by 1,500 tonnes of steel cable. This remains engineering at its most dazzling even 20 years on. It was constructed to relieve traffic congestion towards the Mediterranean, but ironically we dive off it and head east along the N107 instead. It's mesmerising to look at, fast as hell, and handles spectacularly. But the motors are noisy, the range barely adequate What a road this is – that's the second reason for coming here – and what a machine the Evija reveals itself to be in arguably its natural habitat. It's bigger and heavier than anything Chapman and co ever envisaged but crucially still feels like a Lotus. It's actually close to the McLaren 750S in terms of steering feel and linearity of response. The 750S was the best car I drove in 2024 and is TG's reigning Speed Week champion, so this is high praise. Interestingly, the Evija's steering is also electrohydraulic rather than fully electric, and there's no regen on the braking, the big Lotus relying instead on carbon ceramics supplied by Brembo. It settles into a remarkable rhythm, the hydraulically operated, retractable rear wing and DRS finessing the aero and stabilising everything. Despite its vast complexity, there's a delicious purity to its responses. There's magic here, no question. But charging for the umpteenth time and closing in on our destination, as many questions remain as there are answers. The world, we know, is refusing to fall in love with the vastly horsepowered hyper EV. This is an automotive genre that's frankly pretty silly, at least until the battery tech serves up twice the energy density in a package that comes in at half the current weight. Lotus also remains suspiciously coy about how many Evijas have found homes, but at £2.4m it's unquestionably a tough sell. After 48 long hours at the wheel, the jury is still out. It's mesmerising to look at, fast as hell, and handles spectacularly. But the motors are noisy, the range barely adequate, and the software issues 21st century incarnations of traditional Lotus, shall we say, foibles. The company reckons some Evijas will end up part of big collections, destined to be a static masterpiece and state of the art techno flagship. But the technology is moving fast and a Lotus, more than most other cars, exists to be driven. After 1,000 demanding miles, and for various disparate reasons, this one doesn't go quite far enough.
Miami Herald
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
6 EVs With the Most Horsepower
We get pretty jazzed up when we get behind the wheel of anything that has more than 300 horsepower, so the bar is low. When it comes to electric vehicles, that horsepower number can get into the stratosphere. The number of high-output EVs is growing by the month, or so it seems. Even more mainstream EVs like the 2025 Kia EV6 can generate as much as 641 horsepower in Launch Control mode, even more than the Porsche 911 Turbo's 572 horsepower. That's impressive for an EV that costs less than $64,000, but what about the high-end, high-performance electric vehicles out there? How much power do they produce? Here are the six EVs with the highest horsepower figures in 2025. Prepare yourself to see some astounding numbers. Not so long ago, Lotus was making small gas-powered track cars with less than 400 horsepower. Today, the iconic British carmaker builds an electric hypercar, the Evija, with 1,972 horsepower. The Evija uses four electric motors-one for each wheel-delivering precise torque distribution and organ-crushing acceleration. The power output is aided by a light and rigid carbon fiber monocoque structure, and the Evija can sprint to 60 mph in under three seconds and top out at over 200 mph. Less focused on straight-line speed and more on track duties, the Evija is a nimble, track-carving hypercar that looks more exotic and powerful than anything the brand has ever built. At $2.3 million, only 130 of them will be made. Mate Rimac founded the eponymous Croatian electric supercar brand in 2009, and its greatest creation is a monster of an electric supercar with power exceeding even the most powerful gas-powered competitors. The Nevera has a 120kWh battery that powers four motors, one dedicated to each wheel, for a total of 1,914 horsepower. The Nevera can rocket to 60 mph in a mere 1.85 seconds and can claim a top speed of 258 mph. It also has advanced torque vectoring to maximize its handling capabilities. Only 150 units will be made, and our guess is that they're already spoken for, even at a price of over $2 million apiece. The renowned Italian design house, Pininfarina, is famous for designing some of the most iconic cars from Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. Now, Pininfarina is creating its own cars that look to the future instead of the past. Case in point, the electric Battista, a luxury hyper-GT that blends Italian design with astronomical power. The Battista actually uses a powertrain developed in partnership with the aforementioned Rimac, and its quad-motor setup produces 1,900 horsepower. It can achieve a 0-60 mph time of less than two seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. Priced at $2.2 million, the car will only ever see 150 units built. Lucid Motors isn't just about building elegant EVs with airy cabins and cutting-edge technology. It also makes electric muscle that outdoes any luxury sedan made today. The Lucid Air Sapphire costs $250,000, and it has the firepower to back up that price. With 1,234 horsepower from its tri-motor powertrain, the Air Sapphire can easily claim to be one of the quickest production sedans in the world. 0-60 mph happens in under two seconds, meaning it can pretty much destroy everything else out there, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and the like. It also gets a ridiculous 427-mile range on a full charge. Your Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid can't do that, can it? Not far behind the Lucid Air Sapphire is Tesla's bad boy, the Model S Plaid ($94,990). Having roasted numerous exotic supercars in YouTube drag races, the Plaid is insane for what's essentially an electric family sedan. The 1,020 horsepower from its tri-motor setup means the Plaid can launch to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds and hit a top speed of 200 mph. To boot, the Plaid provides 348 miles of all-electric range and transports five adults in comfort. Even if someone wants to kick your Tesla out of hatred for Elon Musk, just mash the throttle and you'll be outta there in no time. The GMC Hummer EV ($99,045) is the return of the original Hummer and then some. This time around, it's a different kind of powerhouse-an electric pickup or SUV that moves with alacrity via a tri-motor setup producing up to 1,000 horsepower. The monolith of an EV can sprint from 0-60 mph in around three seconds, besting some of the quickest sports cars in the world. All this from a vehicle that weighs over 9,000 pounds is a Herculean achievement. The Hummer EV also comes standard with CrabWalk mode (which allows it to move diagonally) and adaptive suspension, making it way more agile than anything this size has a right to. The horsepower figures on this list would have been unthinkable just a decade ago, but EV technology has made it possible for cars, trucks, and SUVs to push the envelope of power. Each one of these vehicles meets or exceeds the 1,000-horsepower mark, and that's no joke. They're proof that electric vehicles are rewriting the rulebook for what's possible in automotive performance. More than just batteries and motors, these vehicles exhibit cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and, in many cases, a surprising degree of luxury and comfort. However, you'll still have to resituate your facial features back to their normal location after pushing these to their limits. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Top Gear
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Lotus Evija Review 2025
It's the all-electric Lotus hypercar. But you probably knew that already because we've had six whole years to get our heads round the idea. Most cars would have been facelifted in the time it's taken Lotus to get this thing to market – or even been replaced altogether. Still, better late than never. The Evija first broke cover back in July 2019, so it takes its place alongside those other 21st century moon-shot cars, the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG One, in terms of developmental challenge and creative hubris. Talk to any of the people involved with this trio and they'll rub their eyes wearily, exhale deeply, and admit that yes, it was all a bit much. Advertisement - Page continues below Why the delay? Covid, mainly, but also the sheer challenge of getting this heavily software-defined machine to function. The Evija has actually been in production for a while now, built to exacting standards in the same building in which the fabled early Nineties Lotus Carlton came to life. That had 377bhp and was sufficiently lairy for its very existence to be debated in the House of Commons. With a power output of 2,011bhp – or 1.5 megawatts if you prefer – the Evija can claim to be the most powerful production car in history. And it can nail 186mph in 9.2 seconds. Here it is, in all its glory. And yet the universe merely shrugs. Clearly people are harder to please these days. Remind us of the tech… The 93kWh battery pack is supplied by Coventry firm, Hyperbat; the cells from American supplier Molicell. The pack sits in the middle of the car rather than underneath, and a high power density was obviously the main requirement. Packaging it was such a challenge that the principal power electronic modules are integrated into the pack, with the main energy storage components of the battery in the lower section. The cells are liquid cooled and housed within a carbon fibre case. A slab or skateboard battery would have been easier to configure but wouldn't have delivered the sort of dynamics Lotus was targeting. Hence the 'mid-engined' configuration. The company had to reset its usual parameters in terms of dynamic clearances in order to make the Evija work; they're down to just five millimetres in certain areas. The front and rear electronic drive units – which bundle two 500bhp motors together – are separately cooled. Advertisement - Page continues below Skip 8 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 8 Presumably Lotus has kept a keen eye on quality and durability. It insists yes. The assembly facility is homely but rigorous. The battery pack can withstand extremely robust duty cycles: during testing, it was dropped, crushed, set fire to, and frozen. It can be run at full velocity for up to eight minutes without de-rating – which is usually done to protect the cells and extend the battery's lifespan – as Lotus discovered when it took the Evija X to the Nürburgring. It set a lap time around the Nordschleife of 6m 24s, the third fastest ever – only the VW ID.R and Porsche 919 Evo have gone quicker… Strewth. And it still looks great, no question. Designed by a team led by the indefatigable Russell Carr, a meteor crash-landing into Earth would have roughly the same impact. The tunnels either side of the battery pack are magnificent achievements, expanses of space that help the Evija's aero efficiency but also secure its status as perhaps the most singular looking road car currently available. It's equally exotically engineered. It's made entirely of carbon fibre; chassis, body panels and all, including the front sub-frames. This is all in aid of maximum structural rigidity. The Evija's carbon tub is supplied by Italian company CPC, and it's one of the biggest single-piece composite chassis that's ever been attempted. Manufacturing it takes two days, after which the body is loaded up and transported to Hethel. The cockpit sits well within the body, a layout that evokes early Seventies endurance racers, a generation that holds every car designer spellbound. Around 85 per cent of the components are from UK suppliers, hence the jingoistic Union Jack motifs sprinkled around the body. Any other highlights? There's a complex race-bred in-board suspension, co-developed by Multimatic (which also supplies Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG). That includes an F1-style 'heave' damper to absorb the effect of the Evija's considerable downforce – an unbelievable 1,680kg at the car's 217mph Vmax – while its overall aerodynamic properties are dictated by the air flowing not just over and under it, but also through it. The battery pack alone weighs 753kg – more than the weight of an original Lotus Elise – the Evija tipping the scales overall at 1,894kg. Lotus insists that the Evija has an analogue feel and says its chassis dynamics are passive in the classic Lotus idiom. It doesn't have active suspension or rear steer, and the aim is for the driver to get exactly what they expect, when they expect it. Rivals? Most obviously, the Rimac Nevera and Pininfarina Battista. Ferrari's BEV – rumoured to be more of a Purosangue Speciale visually than a swooping hypercar – is due to be revealed towards the end of this year. Lotus remains coy about how many Evijas have found homes, but at £2.4m a car like this is unquestionably a tough sell – as Mate Rimac himself has admitted. Lotus thinks that some will take their place in car collections, and the Evija certainly has its sculptural qualities. But you could buy a fair few works by Henry Moore for this sort of outlay. What's the verdict? ' The motors are noisy, the range barely adequate, and the software issues… reminders of fragile Lotuses past ' There's real magic here, no question. And yet, the world, we know, is refusing to fall in love with the vastly horsepowered, hyper-EV. A multi-million pound curio, the Evija is unlikely to deliver the paradigm shift Lotus needs it to. It's mesmerising to look at, fast as hell, and handles spectacularly. We can only salute the team behind it who have done a great job nursing it into production. But the motors are noisy, the range barely adequate, and the software issues we experienced during our extensive time with the car are reminders of fragile Lotuses past. Could it be that the Evija is answering a question no-one was really asking?
AsiaOne
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- AsiaOne
Lotus Emeya S review: Breakthrough British electric sports sedan is a performance powerhouse, Lifestyle News
The name Lotus in the automotive world conjures up images of a two-door sports car that's lightweight and uncompromising. A Lotus sports car is designed for the hardcore enthusiast, who values driving enjoyment and purity above all else. But unless you're able to charge an arm and a leg for them like Ferrari or Lamborghini, selling sports cars alone isn't exactly a profitable enterprise. And in this modern era of electrification, Lotus has had to evolve and adapt in order to survive. Enter the Emeya, Lotus' first ever electric four-door sports sedan. Why has Lotus made an electric sedan? First of all, we need to look at the direction Lotus has taken in recent years. As mentioned earlier, Lotus has spent most of its history making pure sports cars, a venture that earned it respect and some success, but not financial riches. For much of the 21st century, Lotus was owned by Malaysian carmaker Proton, following a spell of instability during the 1980s and 90s when it was being passed around various different owners. But in 2017, Chinese carmaker conglomerate Geely bought a major controlling stake of Lotus from Proton, and kickstarted the brand revolution that is starting to bear fruit today. Geely recognised that electrification was a necessary step in today's automotive world, and it had plans to transition Lotus to an all-electric brand by 2028. In 2021, it put out Lotus' first electric model, the Evija. It was a sports car with a limited production run, and had four electric motors that produced a total power output of over 2,000hp. The Evija was meant to showcase how Lotus' famed automotive engineering prowess can be applied to the electric car era, and it gave the brand enough confidence to pivot towards bolder steps. The next breakthrough was in 2023, when Lotus unveiled the Electre, its first ever SUV that was also electric-powered. It sent shockwaves throughout the industry, as few could ever imagine Lotus releasing an SUV. It seemingly went against everything the brand stood for, but the car went on to receive rave reviews, and demonstrated that Lotus could apply its technical capabilities onto a new form without sacrificing too much of the driving enjoyment that its customers expect from its cars. The Emeya then is a natural progression on that trajectory. A sports sedan like the Emeya is still a product that's somewhat un-Lotus-like, but it's certainly less controversial than an SUV, so it's probably somewhat more palatable to enthusiasts. More importantly, cars like the Electre and Emeya open up the Lotus brand to a wider audience, potentially giving it the financial stability to become a more sustainable business. What's the Emeya like? The car we're driving is the Emeya S, which is the mid-spec model that costs $448,800 without COE. It sits between the base Emeya ($427,800 without COE) and the high-performance Emeya R ($563,800 without COE). The difference between the base model and the S is mostly down to equipment, with the S featuring high performance brakes, and additional features like a carbon fibre spoiler and glass roof. The Emeya R is the hardcore version with a lot more power, but in Singapore's context the R would be a bit of an overkill, unless you intend to take your Emeya to the track regularly. The first thing you'll note about the car is that it is very long. It stretches to over 5 metres in length and 2 metres in width, so you do have to be extra careful in manoeuvring this beast around tighter carparks. The car's design manages to be sleek and aggressive without shouting too loud. The front end, with its slim headlights and sharp nose, boasts a scowl that lets people know that it means business, while the full-width taillight bar at the rear accentuates the Emeya's sizeable proportions. It is the inside though that makes the Emeya a Lotus like no other. Previous Lotus sports cars have generally boasted of spartan and barebones interiors, but the Emeya's is a world of luxury in comparison. The biggest thing, literally, is the space you get. With its generous wheelbase that's over 3 metres long, there's plenty of room for occupants, especially those in the rear, to stretch their legs and perhaps play a game of kickball between themselves. Up front, you get a sleek-looking dashboard made from high-quality materials that truly befits the Emeya's status as a premium contender. It's a fairly minimalist design, but there are nice touches like the small screen in front of the front passenger to control some of the infotainment options. Like many newer EVs these days, most of the controls are accessed via the central touchscreen. In the Emeya, you get a rather large 15.6-inch screen that is powered by a pretty fast processor, resulting in quick response times and sharp graphics. Another interesting highlight is the pretty clever electro-chromic glass roof where you can choose to light or shade selected segments to allow just the right amount of light in as you wish, or create a fancy pattern to wow your passengers. It's a $17,000 option though, so it's quite a price to pay for what is really a fun feature. Does it drive like a Lotus? If you're expecting the same kind of pure driving experience as Lotus' iconic sports cars, then unfortunately you're not quite going to get that in the Emeya. It's worth bearing in mind that, at the end of the day, the Emeya is still a large EV with a heavy battery, and its weight of over 2.5 tonnes is hard to ignore. That said, it still manages to hide it pretty well, partly by simply overpowering it with brute force. The Emeya S puts out a total of 603hp and 710Nm of torque from its dual electric motors, allowing it to go from 0-100km/h in just 4.2 seconds. It certainly does feel as quick as the numbers suggest, with the car picking up speed with the sort of urgency that not entirely unexpected from a performance-focused EV actually. And yet it doesn't feel as abrupt or jolting as some other high-powered EVs under hard acceleration. Instead, the Emeya delivers its power smoothly and effectively such that it doesn't feel overwhelming. It certainly makes for a great long distance cruiser, and that is supplemented by its excellent ride quality, which is not something one can say about Lotus sports cars from the past. The suspension is firm but not unduly uncomfortable, and one could drive the Emeya all day without emerging with a backache at the end of the journey. And despite its size and weight, the Emeya acquits itself relatively well in the corners, for a car of its type anyway. It's not going to have same sort of laser precision handling as the Lotus sports cars of yore, but it has a steering that offers plenty of feel, and a chassis that feels taut and capable of letting the car hang on gamely when pushed hard. It's probably helped by the optional Dynamic Handling Pack (which costs an eye-popping $42,000) fitted on the test car that includes rear wheel steering and active anti-roll bars, and they combine to give the Emeya a sense of nimbleness that seemingly defies its dimensions. With all that performance capability, it's easy to forget the Emeya's electric prowess. The large 102kWh battery offers a claimed range of 540km, but you'll probably get closer to the high 400s in the real world. Charging time is rated at 14 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent using a 400kW rapid charger, but our fastest public charger is only about half that rate, so you can expect a charge time of around 20 minutes or so. What is the point of the Emeya then? It's fair to say that if you're looking for a high-performance electric sedan, there are no shortage of options available out there for your consideration. In terms of capability, the closest competitor to the Emeya would be the Porsche Taycan. However, to achieve the same sort of performance ability as the Emeya S, you'll have to go for the top-spec Taycan Turbo, which costs almost double the price of the Lotus. Viewed in that perspective, the Emeya doesn't seem too bad in comparison relatively speaking. It may not be quite like the Lotus you remember, but it certainly will be a Lotus you won't forget. [[nid:696570]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
